BY TC News Desk
Agartala, July 9, 2023: A tense situation has unfolded in 13 Pratapgarh assembly constituenc since the establishment of the government in 2018, primarily due to ongoing land brokerage activities. Presently, a power struggle has emerged between the ruling party’s state committee office and the mandal office of the respective area regarding the division of profits from these land brokerage deals. This conflict has escalated to involve the East Agartala Police Station and the Mahila Police Station, creating an unsettling atmosphere.
On Saturday night around 9:30 p.m., a group of youths, including the Yuva Morcha mandal president, allegedly attacked a BJP functionary’s residence in the Ghoshpara area of Pratapgarh Assembly constituency. Subsequently, the wife of the ruling party functionary filed a complaint, alleging that she and her daughter were subjected to molestation by Manish Chakraborty, Vinay Debnath, Kishaloy Ghosh, Diptanu Sharma, and Debajit Sutradhar of the Yuva Morcha mandal. As news of the incident spread throughout the night, leaders from the ruling party’s camp gathered, leading to heated exchanges.
Eventually, a group led by Manish Chakraborty, the Youth Morcha Mandal President, lodged a complaint at the Purba police station, asserting that the accusations made by the BJP functionary’s family were baseless. The following morning, the victim, accompanied by several women, including the ward president of the women’s march in the area, visited the East Agartala women’s police station to file a molestation case. The women’s police station staff realized that this was an ongoing feud between the Yuva Morcha and Mahila Morcha, involving both the BJP’s state office and the area’s mandal office. Consequently, the police station staff initially hesitated to register the case. However, under pressure, they eventually accepted the complaint against Manish Chakraborty, Binoy Debnath, Kishaloy Ghosh, Diptanu Sharma, and Debajit Sutradhar.
The Mahila Morcha alleges that the Yuva Morcha Mandal has been engaging in various illegal activities, including assaulting women in the vicinity. They claim that their primary occupation is land brokerage, and the Yuva Morcha president is allegedly pocketing large sums of money under the party’s name through these transactions. Furthermore, it is alleged that if anyone fails to comply with their demands, they resort to physical violence by invading streets and houses. The events on Saturday night are viewed as another instance of such actions, with the Mahila Morcha accusing the BJP of barging into the function room and assaulting the woman and her daughter. Shortly after the incident, the accused individuals went to the East Agartala police station and filed a false case against the residents of the house. In response, the Yuva Morcha filed a police case against those who had rushed to the house upon hearing the woman’s cries.
Some people believe that the ruling party’s involvement in land brokerage and internal conflicts within the party contributed to their defeat in the 2023 assembly elections. Despite the government’s successful re-election, tensions in the area continue to escalate as no significant actions have been taken. The general public is growing increasingly fearful and anxious due to these circumstances.
